Singapore Airlines says EU emissions scheme unfair

GauravRaghuvanshi

SINGAPORE -(MarketWatch)- Singapore Airlines Ltd. (C6L.SG) thinks that the European system of charging global airlines for emissions isn't equitable, though the island nation's flag carrier will comply with the law, Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong said Monday.

"We will comply (with the Emissions Trading System, or ETS) but we don't think it is an equitable measure," Goh told reporters on the sidelines of an industry event in Singapore.

He said it was unfair to charge an airline flying long distance into Europe for the entire journey made by the airplane. Under the system, an airline that makes its passengers fly with a halt somewhere close to Europe will pay less than an airline that flies non-stop, even though the former would have used more fuel, he said.

"We are objecting to the principle of how it is applied," Goh said.

Separately, he said that the aviation market is expected to improve in the second half of 2012 while the airline isn't banking on fuel prices to come down anytime soon.

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